Pics of my #3 and '03

[Blackwater]

An elderly friend I took up with not long ago does some really good restoration work on some rifles he collects. He's 86, and still practicing dentistry 2-3 half days a week, despite some health problems, and neuropathy in his hands, and it's his unwavering and patient commitment to such work that smamed me into finally finding my "round tuit" and getting to work on some of my own guns I've been saving for just such purpose for entirely too long a time now. With his inspiration, and particularly with several lectures about the necessity and value of patience in these matters, I think I did fairly well. They're not quite pro jobs, but they ain't "bubba'd" either, at least in MHO. So, FWIW, I hope this is at least good enough to pass on that inspiration I got from the Doc, and maybe it'll inspire some of you during this "'tween season" now that hunting season's winding down and fishin' season ain't here yet. Hope so, anyway.

Ruger No. 3
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/BlackwaterGA/MVC-005F.jpg

[Blackwater]

Sorry about the sideways thing, but I don't know how to turn it upright. Help anyone?


Here's my '03:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/BlackwaterGA/MVC-002F.jpg

This was really enjoyable work, if at times a bit challenging.

They're not quite finished yet, but with the 'tween season staring us in the face, I figured the timing was right, even if the guns aren't detailed out yet, nor quite finished really. I'll be using the 'tween seasons for this, and tying up some shad, bass and bream flies, too. This is really a neat season of the year, IMO.

Y'all go get your hand and power tools out, and see what you can do. If it's not quite right the first time, you can always keep working on it until it either is, or there's nothing left, and then you've got the experience that will serve you when you get a replacement. Main trick, I learned from my dentist friend, is to just look at it a lot before you do any cutting, and be sure you can see where you want the work to go. FWIW? Hope it inspires some of you like the Doc inspired me. Now my work on the other two '03's ought to be even a tad better, maybe.

These are both going to be serious cast bullet guns, too. I'm not a purist yet, but we'll just have to let the future determine if that's the direction I'm going in. Both guns shoot really well, which is part of what got me prompted, too. These are going to be favorites, now, in both cases.

[Scrounger]

I can't correct your pictures but I can steal them and post them upright in a reply. You should be able to turn the photos on your computer with one of the editing programs that likely came with your digital camera.

[versifier]

Windows picture viewer has a rotate feature that you access through My Pictures, then when you want to send them, it's already done.

[The Nyack Kid]

ooooh pretty .
terra ferma with out snow built up on it .

nice wood work too.

my ol man has been restoring the finnish on a pre-64 M-70 and it does make a world of differance.

[9.3X62AL]

Fine, fine work! I assume the '03 is still in 30-06.....what caliber is the #3? I had one of these in 223 about 25 years ago, and it was one real accurate critter.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Looks like excellent work, beyond Bubba's wildest fantasies!

[Buckshot]

..............They look like very fine work. I like the little schnabble on the forend of the Springfield. I heartily dislike stockwork, and while I'm at it I have to keep repeating, 'Don't hurry, don't hurry, don't hurry' 8). And that's with those 95% finished jobs too.

..................Buckshot

[Frank46]

Blackwater, very nice work!!!!!!. I assume that the wood on the ruger is the factory wood?.
If you ever latch on to a #1 set of wood the buttstock WILL fit on a #3. I have a #1 buttstock on my #3 and a greatly altered #3 forend on the same rifle. Frank

[Bret4207]

Oh I LUV those #3's. Never could afford one while they were around and used is higher yet. Same with the CPA Stevens 44's. DROOL!

If I learned one thing in stockwork it's this- YOU CAN'T PUT WOOD BACK! Looks like you got that down. Good job.

[JDL]

Very nice work Blackwater!! I traded for a #3 thirty years or so ago in .45-70. Kickingest little @#%&* I ever put to my shoulder, I mean it hurt! It was nice to carry, but not to shoot, especially off a bench.
I had a friend that wanted it so we made a swap, then a few days later he wanted to trade it back to me. This went on a couple of times and then he traded it to someone else. Wish I still had it, surely it didn't recoil as bad as I remember. :-) -JDL

[9.3X62AL]

JDL--

I'm sure that the #3 x 45-70 recoiled at least as badly as you remember. Its brother that went to finishing school--the #1 in that caliber--lets you know the primers functioned in no uncertain terms. The 223 was a fine little rat zapper, and the 30-40 Krag would be a real delight, I'll wager. A local shop has one in 375 Win that I've pondered for a while, but keep stalling on. If it were a Krag, I would snap it up forthwith.

[Char-Gar]

I really like the lines and form on both those stocks. Good work.

I have a #3 in 45-70 and off the bench it is the worse kicking SOB I have ever fired. With 53/3031 and the 350 Hornaday bullet it brused my cheek bone. However it is so accurate it is scary and kills deer like the Hammer of Thor.

With a 2.5X scope, it will deliver 1.5 MOA accuracy with either cast or condom. The accuracy and it handling properties it what keep it in the fleet. In the field the recoil is not noticable.

With that said, the Marlin levergun in 45-70 can also pound you with heavy loads.

[Dutch4122]

JDL--

I'm sure that the #3 x 45-70 recoiled at least as badly as you remember. Its brother that went to finishing school--the #1 in that caliber--lets you know the primers functioned in no uncertain terms. The 223 was a fine little rat zapper, and the 30-40 Krag would be a real delight, I'll wager. A local shop has one in 375 Win that I've pondered for a while, but keep stalling on. If it were a Krag, I would snap it up forthwith.


I passed up a Ruger #3 in .375 Winchester a few years ago. Don't see many #3's in these parts much less in .375 Winchester. Wish I could have that chance back again. :(

[Blackwater]

Thanks for the positive comments, guys. Buckshot, (IIRC?) that patience thing was never my long suit, either. Actually, associating with an elderly gentleman who does some really fine restorations on 1890 Winchesters, and some others, got my blood up to find my round tuit to do these two guns .... FINALLY. He also counselled me heavily on a number of occasions about how patience is the key, and how I needed to just take however long it took to do it right. Whenever I started getting IM-patient, I'd remember his advice, and lay the work down until I got RE-patience - usually the next day or so. I also learned from just observing him, that he just sits and looks at the gun a lot sometimes - sort'a letting the gun tell him what it wanted to be maybe? Doing that helped me avoid some mistakes, I'm sure, and helped with the patience, too, which was kinda' odd until I thought about it a bit. When I actually "see," in my mind, just EXACTLY what I wanted, and was confident of my vision, it was easy to execute the "vision" without getting impatient. The FOCUS became hitting the mark, not just getting it done. I found that surprising, and a bit gratifying, too. Maybe I can use that again???

The '06 has the original barrel on it. It was shortened and the ramp installed when I got it. It originally had a piece of tupperware for a stock, and shot very well. Tupperware on an '03 is a Sin of High Order, and even an old reprobate like me isn't THAT bad! I have two more "sporterized" '03's both with wood stocks, and I robbed one of the stocks from one of those to complete this one. There'd been a bit of wood already taken off that I wish hadn't been, but I tried to make what was there work as well as possible, and I think didn't do badly - all due to the elderly gentleman's tutelage and the strength of his character, which made me actually TAKE his advice rather than just doing the same'o same'o. It was humbling when he and my 'smith were complimentary. It's no Pro job, but for an ol' country boy, I'll take it for now. Hope to do better with the next one, of course, and I'm working on a Mauser for a buddy that will start with a new piece of wood, so maybe I can work that one out in closer detail. Biggest problem with this stuff is, as my gunsmith buddy advised, "you never really FINISH a rifle, you just get tired of the detailing, and find a place where you're satisfied to just stop."

I've got more to do on both guns, and put some finish on in hopes of blooding one or both, but alas, t'wasn't to be. Maybe next year?

The #3's a .45/70, and as long as you stick to the 300's at not much more than 2000 fps., it's not bad, really. I think the pad, even though thin, will make it more comfortable than that awful plastic excuse of a floorplate. I just HATED that thing on a rifle like this! It's the original wood, and it amazed me how easily it "cleaned up." First thing was to cut and fit the pad. Alas, I forgot to subtract the pad's thickness, and it's a mite long now. Will re-cut and replace the pad ASAP. The grip's squarish as it comes from Ruger. After fitting the pad, which was a takeoff Ruger with Ruger logo on the face of it, you've got to round the squared off sides of the topline of the stock to meet the pad. Just used a lengthy flat piece of wood that was straight, and it wasnt' hard. Just look often as you cut, and when you get close, go to finer grits and greater care.

Then rounded up that squarish grip, and slimmed it somewhat. Also cut the comb nose back about 1/2", largely by reforming the essentially sloped off taper into a curve, and then fluted the comb. Will move the comb nose back yet a bit more, maybe 1/4" or so, and widen the flute a bit, blending it into the rest of the wood. Also will lower the top of the grip just a smidge. Amazing how a small change, like .025" or so, can make the grip look so much better. I always marvel at that.

I still need to finish the schnabble, and slim down the width of the rear of the forend a bit. It needs re-glassing, too.

(cont'd below)

[Blackwater]

(Cont'd)

The #3 shot MOA or near it, and regularly, too, before the work. I WILL return it to that, no matter what it takes. That barrel's slim and light for a .45 cal., but if it did it once, it'll do it again.

Only shot the '03 with the Wms. peep, so am not sure what it'll do just yet. Just got the Redfield mt. it was drilled for when I got it, and have yet to debut it with the stronger "eyes." I think it'll do MOA with some load work. It came close with the peep, so .... that's the goal I've set, anyway.

I think those '30's and earlier '03's were hand lapped, weren't they? Don't think I'd enter it in a benchrest match, but it ought to do anything I'll ever expect of it, including the MOA thing.

Thanks to the inspiration of the old Doc, I finally got two of my "projects" nearly done, finally. I think I may go bake him a pecan pie. He'd really like that, I think. No way I can repay what he's done for me, but a token is just plain called for here. He does some really good work, and farms out the rest. Has a number of health problems, including neuropathy in his hands, but still has enough strength and whatnot in his right hand to hold his dental drill, and at 86 and over 50 years practice behind him, he still does 2-3 half days a wk. at the office. How can a man NOT be inspired by a man like that? And I'd trust him to work on my mouth, too. He only works on friends and folks he just likes, and has offered to do a couple of caps for something like 20% of what I've been quoted elsewhere. He just goes the craftsman's route, instead of the pre-packaged make-more-money route that most "moderns" use.

One of the 'smiths whose work he values highly once asked something about making moulds and castings for parts. The Doc told him they can do moulds and casts to within WAY less than a thou now, and when the 'smith quit doing restoration work to concentrate on another more lucrative type of work, he told Doc that he was the only exception he'd make, and he'd do anything the Doc wanted him to.

Anything good in those two guns above is LARGELY due to the Doc. Without him, they'd likely have turned out differently - particularly that schnabble. Those things are HARD to do .... right, that is. My thanks to the Doc.

Stick around the old men. They sure do know some "stuff!" Even how to handle an impatient wannabe! Both those guns will be seeing a lot of plain lead boolits, too, BTW. I'm really looking forward to shooting them as soon as I get the details worked out and the bedding and finish completed.

Just had to share a couple of my better "successes," even if qualified a bit here and there. Made me feel like a million bucks to see the Doc's work on me pay off, even if not in an unqualified way. I think I can do better on the next ones, IF I just keep his lessons at heart and in mind.